Snubber for the dagger board of a sailboat

ABSTRACT

A snubber for the dagger board of a sailboat includes two rubber fins fastened to the deck of the sailboat and extending toward each other in cantilever fashion over a vertical slot formed through a dagger board trunk. The opposing edges of the fins are spaced horizontally from each other a distance slightly less than the thickness of the dagger board so as to grip against the sides of the dagger board and frictionally support the latter in a raised position with the lower edge of the dagger board retracted upwardly within the slot past the hull of the boat.

United States Patent [19] Dodge [1;] 3,871,322 [4 Mar. 18, 1975 SNUBBER FOR THE DAGGER BOARD OF A SAILBOAT [76] Inventor: Marlow W. Dodge, 6312 Park Ridge Rd., Rockford, Ill. 61] 11 [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 376,693

[52] U.S. Cl. 114/127 [51] Int. Cl. B63b 41/00 [58] Field of Search 114/127-138,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,314,390 4/1967 Young 114/127 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 878,936

10/1961 Great Britain 114/132 Primary Exa mt'nerTrygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Gregory W. OConnor Attorney, Agent, or FirmWolfe, Hubbard, Leydig,

Voit & Osann, Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT A snubber for the dagger board of a sailboat includes two rubber fins fastened to the deck of the sailboat and extending toward each other in cantilever fashion over a vertical slot formed through a dagger board trunk. The opposing edges of the fins are spaced horizontally from each other a distance slightly less than the. thickness of the dagger board so as to grip against the sides of the dagger board and frictionally support the latter in a raised position with the lower edge of the dagger board retracted upwardly within the slot past the hull of the boat.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SNUBBER FOR THE DAGGER BOARD OF A SAILBOAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide a snubber for the dagger board of a sailboat which is particularly adapted to enable easier manipulation of the dagger board so that the latter may be used in a normal fashion. A further object is to accomplish the foregoing and still provide a snubber which is lessexpensive and of much simpler construction than prior snubbers adapted to perform the same general function.

A more detailed object is to accomplish the foregoing through the novel provision of a pair of spaced fins each formed of resiliently flexible material and adapted to be secured to the deck of the boat alongopposite sides of the dagger board slot so as to extend in cantilever fashion over the slot toward each other, the opposing edges of the fins being spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of the dagger board and serving to grip the dagger board frictionally therebetween to support the board in its raised position.

The invention also resides in the provision of a novel bracket for securing each of the fins to the deck and in the unique construction of the fins enabling the distance between the latter to be adjusted after the brackets are mounted loosely on the deck. In addition, the invention resides in the provision of novel spacers for positioning the fins slightly above the deck of the boat so as to permit the fins to flex upwardly and downwardly as the dagger board is raised and lowered within the slot.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sailboat equipped with a dagger board snubber embodying 'the novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the sailboat and showing raised and lowered positions for the dagger board, the lowered position being shown in phantom.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2 and showing the dagger board in its lowered position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the dagger board in its raised position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A small sailboat 10, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1, is equipped with a retractable keel or dagger board 11 to facilitate handling of the boat. In a typical arrangement for supporting the dagger board, the sailboat includes a dagger board trunk 13 which extends upwardly from the inside of the hull 14 to a point well above the water line. Herein, the trunk is positioned within the forward portion of a footwell 15 located in the center of the boat, the top 16 of the trunk being formed by a rearward extension of the foredeck I7 of the boat. In use, the dagger board, which is of rectangular cross-section, is telescoped downwardly through the trunk so a lower end portion 19 of the board projects into the water, the board being received within a slot 20 which extends vertically through the trunk and the hull as shown in FIG. 2. The cross-sectional area of the slot is somewhat larger than the cross-sectional area of the board, and a handle 21 secured to the upper end of the board keeps the latter from sliding completely through the slot.

To keep the dagger board 11 from having to be removed completely from the slot 20 when it is desirable to raise the board such as when sailing under certain conditions or when the sailboat 10 is being beached or trailered from place to place, a snubber 23 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) is mounted on the top 16 of the trunk 13 and grips against the sides 24 of the dagger board to hold the latter in a raised position with the lower end portion 19 of the board retracted upwardly within the slot 20 and above the bottom of the hull 14.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a snubber 23 which is much simpler and less expensive than prior snubbers adapted to perform the same general function. The present snubber includes two spaced fins 25 which are adpated to be secured to the top 16 of the trunk 13 by fastening means 26 and which serve to support the dagger board in its raised position. When fastened to the top of the trunk, one side margin 27 of each fin partially extends over the slot 20 in cantilever fashion toward the other fin so the edges 29 of the two fins are spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of the dagger board. Advantageously, the fins are each formed of a resiliently yieldable material so that, when the dagger board is inserted into the slot, the board is gripped and held by friction between the edges of the fins. With this arrangement, the dagger board maybe adjusted vertically within the slot simply by pushing or pulling on the board and without need of manually releasing or loosening any of the parts of the snubber in order to free the board for movement.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the snubber 23 comprises the two fins 25, two flat brackets 30, two spacers 31 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and a plurality of screws 33, herein eight, for holding the brackets, tins and spacers'together. One bracket, one fin and one spacer comprises each half of the snubber, and thetwo halves are secured to the top 16 of the trunk 13 along opposite sides of the slot 20 by the screws. More particularly, each of the tins is formed of within a recess 37 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which is formed in the underside 38 of the bracket 30 and which in conjunction with the screws 33 forms the fastening means 26. The recess is of an elongated rectangular shape and opens outwardly of an edge 39 of the bracket so as to be located along the side of the slot 20. Moreover, the length and depth of the recess are about the same as the length and thickness, respectively, of the fin but the width of the recess is slightly less than one-half the width of the fin so the latter projects edgewise from the bracket when seated within the recess.

The spacer 31 is mounted directly beneath the inner margin 36 of the fin 25 in alignment with the recess 37 and is approximately the same size and shape as the recess. Herein, the spacer also is formed of synthetic weatherproof rubber and advantageously keeps both the bracket 30 and the fin 25 spaced above the surface of the top 16 of the trunk 13 so the outer margin 27 of the fin may bow downwardly as the dagger board 11 is moved down within the slot.

To secure each half of the snubber 23 to the top 16 of the trunk 13, each bracket 30 is formed with four holes 40 (FIG. spaced longitudinally along the middle ofthe recess 37. The holes align with four apertures 41 (FIG. 4) in the spacer 31 when the latter is positioned directly beneath the recess. Initially, the screws 33 are inserted through the holesand apertures and are threaded loosely into the trunk. Thereafter, the fins 25 are slid edgewise into their respective recesses, the notches 34 receiving the screws. By virtue of the openended notches, the fins may be adjusted selectively so their opposing edges 29 are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the thickness of the dagger board 11 without having to reply upon fastening the brackets 30 in a precise position on the top of the trunk.

In use, the opposing edges 29 of the fins 25 of the snubber 23 grip frictionally against the sides 24 of the dagger board 11 to support the latter vertically within the slot 20. As the board initially is inserted into the slot, the fins yield and bow downwardly as shown in FIG. 3 to permit the board to enter the slot. The fins hold the board in virtually any selected vertical position within the slot and yet permit the board to be slid easily from one position to the next. When the board is pulled into its raised position, the fins are bowed upwardly (see FIG. 4) to keep the board from freely sliding downwardly in the slot and past the bottom of the hull I 4 be pulled into its raised position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A snubber mountable on a sailboat adjacent the dagger board slot and adapted to grip against the sides of a dagger board of predetermined thickness to support the board in a raised position, said snubber including first and second flat fins formed of a resiliently yieldable material, a first bracket for securing said first fin to the boat along one side of the slot with the first fin having one side margin secured to the boat and having an opposite side margin extending partially over the slot, a second bracket for securing said second fin along the opposite side of the slot with said second fin extending partially over the slot toward the other fin, the side edges of said fins being spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of said dagger board so as to grip frictionally against the sides of the dagger board to support the latter in said raised position.

2. A snubber as defined by claim 1 wherein each of said brackets is formed by a plate having a recess formed in the underside thereof, each recess opening downwardly and outwardly of the edge of said bracket adjacent said slot and toward the recess in the other bracket, and each recess receiving said one side margin of the respective fin to captivate said fin between said bracket and said boat with the opposite side margin projecting from said recess and over said slot toward the other fin.

3. A snubber as defined by claim 2 wherein said fastening means further includes first and second spacers adapted for mounting beneath said one side margin of said first and second fins, respectively, to space said fins upwardly of said boat so said opposite side margins are held cantilever fashion over said slot.

4. A snubber as defined by claim 3 including a plurality of spaced holes formed through and opening into the recess of each of said brackets, a plurality of spaced apertures formed through said spacers to align with said holes, screw means adapted to extend through said holes and said apertures and into said boat to fasten said bracket and said spacers to said boat, a plurality of spaced notches formed through said one side margin of each of said fins and opening outwardly of the edge of said one margin so as to permit said one margin to be telescoped into said recesses between said brackets and said spacers with said screw means being received within said notches prior to being tightened down to captivate said fins within said recesses. 

1. A snubber mountable on a sailboat adjacent the dagger board slot and adapted to grip against the sides of a dagger board of predetermined thickness to support the board in a raised position, said snubber including first and second flat fins formed of a resiliently yieldable material, a first bracket for securing said first fin to the boat along one side of the slot with the first fin having one side margin secured to the boat and having an opposite side margin extending partially over the slot, a second bracket for securing said second fin along the opposite side of the slot with said second fin extending partially over the slot toward the other fin, the side edges of said fins being spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of said dagger board so as to grip frictionally against the sides of the dagger board to support the latter in said raised position.
 2. A snubber as defined by claim 1 wherein each of said brackets is formed by a plate having a recess formed in the underside thereof, each recess opening downwardly and outwardly of the edge of said bracket adjacent said slot and toward the recess in the other bracket, and each recess receiving said one side margin of the respective fin to captivate said fin between said bracket and said boat with the opposite side margin projecting from said recess and over said slot toward the other fin.
 3. A snubber as defined by claim 2 wherein said fastening means further includes first and second spacers adapted for mounting beneath said one side margin of said first and second fins, respectively, to space said fins upwardly of said boat so said opposite side margins are held cantilever fAshion over said slot.
 4. A snubber as defined by claim 3 including a plurality of spaced holes formed through and opening into the recess of each of said brackets, a plurality of spaced apertures formed through said spacers to align with said holes, screw means adapted to extend through said holes and said apertures and into said boat to fasten said bracket and said spacers to said boat, a plurality of spaced notches formed through said one side margin of each of said fins and opening outwardly of the edge of said one margin so as to permit said one margin to be telescoped into said recesses between said brackets and said spacers with said screw means being received within said notches prior to being tightened down to captivate said fins within said recesses. 